Tom Cruise’s second foray into the world of Jack Reacher came and went last fall without too much fan fare, but it did make back its $60 million budget back thanks to the worldwide box office. Still, even by making over $161 million the numbers seem pretty low for a Tom Cruise film. We took a look at the film on BluRay, and here’s our thoughts.
Technically there’s nothing wrong with Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. It’s shot well, it keeps you entertained, and it’s fun to watch. Unfortunately though it’s just your average, run of the mill action movie. What stands out is the lack of the typical Tom Cruise shocking stunt moments, which would normally help his movies rise above many others. It gets stuck in mediocrity because of that. Some of the scenes, as in most action films, are a little silly too, but it doesn’t take away from the over all experience of the film. The basic story is that Reacher finds himself stuck in the middle of a government conspiracy, and he must escape his captors and go on the run with a military police officer also accused of the same crime. As you can see, it’s nothing special, which is probably why the movie didn’t make a lot of people’s must see lists. You wouldn’t get anything extra watching it at the theatre either, so popping in the BluRay disc at home is perfectly acceptable. The picture and sound quality are phenomenal at home as well, which makes it one of those movies you are better off watching at home.
The special features are actually more than you would expect for an action film. There are several behind the scenes documentaries, including ones on Jack Reacher’s return, shooting in Louisana, how they made the rooftop battle scene, and one on the fighting styles of the movies. A lot of BluRay releases would put together short documentaries, but in this case most of them are fairly long. You could easily spend a couple of hours watching them all.
All in all, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, is an entertaining film and one best suited for home viewing. It’s a fun way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon. The film is out tomorrow, January 31st, on Bluray and DVD.
